This invention relates to a device for mounting a target sensor thereon and more particularly but not by way of limitation to an ocular pointing and tracking device for pointing and searching an area for a target located at an unknown point.
Heretofore, mechanical pointing and tracking devices have used primarily a multi-gimbaled sensor platform. Servo motors are used to drive each of the gimbals to align the sensor with a target. This type of system requires the servos to be driven by a controller that generates a preplan sequel of commands or generate necessary commands based on feedback information. The disadvantages of this type of system are caused by the necessity to have precisely calibrated electrical torquers to maintain knowledge of sensor direction and position use of multiple precision bearings and the complexity of the controller to determine fractional motion by each servo. The most significant disadvantage of this type system is the component size required to support the sensor, the required precision of the device and its associated cost, weight and complexity.
Other prior art devices have used an azimuth/elevation mount as used in a typical radar system. Variations of this type of mount are used in NASA Deep Space Tracking and Communications networks and Polar Mounts used typically in astronomical telescopes and similar related type of work. The disadvantages of these types of systems is primarily the requirement for at least one of the pointer and tracker resolvers to be mounted using a gimbal. Again this type of system requires the use of precision gearing with anti-backlash provisions. Further this type of system is bulky and expensive.
Heretofore, there have been various types of tracking antenna devices and platforms as described in the following United States Patents: U.S. Pat. No. 2,654,031 to Mullins, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,667,578 to Barnett et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,786,361 to Russell, U.S. Pat. No. 2,762,234 to Dodd, U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,452 to Godet, U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,802 to Speicher, U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,529 to Speicher and U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,381 to Lloyd. None of these prior art patents specifically describe the unique features and advantages of the subject invention as described herein.